Find Football Opens
01The objective
Score more goals than the other team. A goal counts when the whole ball crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. Outfield players can use any part of the body except hands and arms; only the goalkeeper may handle the ball, and only inside their own penalty area.
Most goals
Whoever scores more in 90 minutes wins. Level scores are a draw in leagues; knockouts go to extra time and penalties.
Feet, head, chest
Dribble, pass or shoot with feet, thighs, chest or head. Deliberate hand or arm contact is handball.
The one exception
Inside their own box, the goalkeeper can catch, punch or hold the ball — but only for about 6 seconds before releasing it.
02The pitch
A full-size pitch is roughly 105 × 68 metres, but amateur opens often play smaller formats — 7-a-side and 5-a-side pitches shrink everything, including match length. The markings mean the same thing everywhere.
03The match clock
04Offside, finally explained
You are offside if, at the moment your teammate plays the ball forward, you are nearer the opponents' goal than both the ball and the second-last defender (the last one is usually the keeper). Being offside only matters if you then get involved in the play.
05Fouls & cards
- Direct free kick foulsKicking, tripping, pushing, holding, careless tackles and deliberate handball. The fouled team kicks from where it happened — and can score directly.
- Fouls in the box = penaltyAny direct-free-kick foul by a defender inside their own penalty area gives the attacker a penalty: one shot from 11 m, only the keeper to beat.
- Yellow card = cautionFor reckless fouls, shirt-pulling to stop an attack, dissent or time-wasting. Two yellows in one match become a red.
- Red card = sent offSerious foul play, violent conduct, or denying a clear goal-scoring chance illegally. The player leaves and the team plays a man short — no replacement.
- Indirect free kicksFor technical offences (offside, dangerous play, keeper handling a deliberate back-pass). Someone else must touch the ball before a goal can count.
- AdvantageIf the fouled team keeps a promising attack, the referee lets play continue instead of stopping it — arms stretched forward signals "advantage".
06Set pieces at a glance
Ball out the side
Two hands, from behind the head, both feet on the ground behind the line. Foul throws hand possession to the other team.
Defence puts it out
Attacker kicks from the corner arc nearest where the ball crossed. A big scoring chance — you can score directly.
Attack puts it out
Keeper (or any player) restarts from anywhere in the six-yard box. Ball is live immediately.
Foul in the box
One kick from the spot. Everyone else outside the area until it's struck. Keeper must keep part of one foot on the line.
Foul anywhere else
Defenders must retreat 9.15 m (10 yards). The wall lines up; attackers curl it, chip it or pass short.
Start & restart
Taken from the centre spot at each half and after every goal. Backwards passes are allowed at kick-off.
07Quick FAQ
What is handball exactly?
It's an offence when the ball touches a hand or arm that is making the body "unnaturally bigger" — arms out wide or above the shoulder — or when the touch is deliberate. Ball striking a tucked-in arm from close range is usually not given.
Can the keeper pick up a pass from a teammate?
Not if the teammate kicked it deliberately (or threw it in). That's the back-pass rule — the keeper must play it with their feet, or concede an indirect free kick.
How many substitutions do we get?
Professional football allows five. Amateur opens are usually more generous — many allow rolling substitutions where players come and go freely. Check your tournament's rules.
What decides a drawn knockout match?
Usually straight to a penalty shootout in amateur opens: five kicks each, alternating, then sudden death. Bigger tournaments insert 30 minutes of extra time first.
08What's new · latest regulations
The Laws of the Game are updated every 1 July by the IFAB. These are the changes you'll actually notice in a 2025/26 match — worth knowing before you argue with a ref.
8-second goalkeeper rule
A keeper holding the ball longer than 8 seconds now concedes a corner kick (it used to be an indirect free kick at 6 seconds). The referee raises a hand and counts down from five.
Only the captain
For major decisions, only the team captain may approach the referee. It's designed to stop packs of players surrounding officials.
Offside & "deliberate play"
A defender who deliberately plays the ball resets offside; a deflection or miskick does not — so an attacker in an offside position can still be pinged off a rebound.
